Bolsonaro, the Brazil president, was hospitalised after becoming ill
Key Takeaways:
- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was admitted to a military hospital in Brasilia on Monday for tests after feeling unwell, according to local media.
- The president intends to run for re-election in October, most likely against leftist former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
According to the local press, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was admitted to a military hospital in Brasilia on Monday for tests after feeling unwell.
Bolsonaro, 67, was unable to attend an evening event hosted by the Republican Party that he had been scheduled to attend after being stabbed in the abdomen during the 2018 presidential campaign, leaving him with ongoing health issues.
"I'm sure the president is fine; he's just taking some extra exams, which is why he's not here," said Marcos Pereira, chairman.
According to the G1 news site, First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro stated her husband "is fine," and Minister of Communication Fabio Faria reported that the president simply felt "discomfort."
According to the publication, Bolsonaro will spend the night in the hospital.
AFP contacted the presidential press service, but no response was received.
Meanwhile, Culture Secretary Mario Frias tweeted that he was "praying for the president."
Bolsonaro was hospitalized in Sao Paulo for two days in January with a partially blocked intestine.
In mid-July, the president, who has been in office since 2019, was admitted to the hospital with the same problem and stayed for four days despite not having surgery.
An attacker stabbed Bolsonaro in the abdomen at a campaign rally in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais in September 2018, a month before the first round of Brazil's presidential election, puncturing his intestine multiple times.
In the near-fatal incident, Bolsonaro lost 40% of his blood and required emergency surgery, which was carried out by a man later declared mentally unfit to stand trial.
The far-right leader has had at least four surgeries due to the stab wound, including the placement and removal of a colostomy bag, which made him more susceptible to intestinal disorders.
He has also had other procedures during his presidency, such as surgery to remove a kidney stone.
Bolsonaro, a Covid-19 sceptic who campaigned against quarantine measures because he believed they would be too costly to the economy and who claims he has not been vaccinated, contracted the virus in July 2020 and experienced mild symptoms.
In October, the president plans to run for re-election, most likely against former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a leftist.
According to a survey released last week by the consulting firm Datafolha, Bolsonaro would lose the elections in the second round with 34% of the vote to Lula's 55%.